Acquainted Night
by TheBlueRoseQueen
Summary: Yaoi Yaoi Yaoi So you can't say that I didn't give you a heads up. Warning: There will be a lot swearing in this fic and the rating might change in the future. PS: The title was taken from one of Robert Frost's poem. Interested yet? Well stop in if you're brave enough. There's only one question left... do you have what it takes? Well do ya, punk? (*.*)
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Is there anybody out there who is lost and hurt and lonely too?"

Coldplay, _Square One_

The day was coming to an end. Minutes had bled into hours, until five o'clock found Naruto sitting out on the curb in front of his house. He watched with bored eyes as the transition begun in his suburban neighborhood. While life went on, Naruto sat without a care in the world. His uniformed ass was plopped on the pavement, while his scruffy pair of converse sneakers touched the asphalt of the road. It was like telling everyone who passed, hey look at me, I'm a fucking rebel. "But that's what the cigarette is for" he said to himself as he brought it to his chapped lips. Seventeen years old, and already, he was addicted to the nicotine. He took a long drag and chuckled as a woman turned up her nose at him as she walked by. Yes, teenage delinquency at its finest, he thought with a bitter smile on his face. The voice of Coldplay's lead singer redirected his thoughts. One headphone tucked into his right ear, while the other hung freely; listening to the playlist he personally dubbed 'S.S.D.D'. "Thank you Stephen King" he said as he cocked his head back, allowing the smoke to travel up his trachea until it sprang from his mouth. He watched the wispy cloud as it spread across the air, until it disappeared into nothing. Light hues of gold and pinks splashed across the darkened sky. This was the best part of the day, especially after a shitty day of school. He grunted and looked at the street once more. He stared at everything yet nothing in particular.

"Another trying day, I see" his neighbor said, as he threw his garbage in one of the trash cans. Naruto nodded but didn't turn to him. "Do you think it's a good idea to be smoking right in front of your house?" he asked, and Naruto glanced at him before letting out a grunt. Couldn't the man understand that he just fucking wanted a smoke without someone hassling him? Jeez, some people. The man seemed to get the message and with a chuckle, he walked back into his house. What he didn't want to tell the man, was that his father was dead, his mother was too busy working her fingers to the bone just to take care of the both of them, and his brother had left three years ago, never to come back. So who pray tell, would give a shit that Naruto was smoking? Naruto snorted at himself and leaded forward. With his hands on his knees, he watched as some boys skated down the street.

"Yo, Naruto!" One of the boys shouted, and he noticed that it was Konohamaru, the boy who lived some blocks down. He was a skinny kid of about twelve, had shaggy brown hair with streaks of red, wore cargo pants, and a black t-shirt with some band he probably never heard of. His helmet was covered with a lot of stickers that he always boosted that he bought himself. Konohamaru waved at him, and Naruto nodded, as he watched the boy pass by. He knew that the boy was hurrying home for dinner or his mother would wretch his ear. Naruto smirked against the cigarette in his mouth. When you were a kid, he mused, life was relatively better. Well, for him, the years that preceded puberty, was what he would called, the 'shit'. He loved those years of hanging out with his friends, worrying whether or not his crush knew he even existed, what dinner his mother was making, or when the new game he wanted was going to release. Now, he had to worry what the fuck x meant in a mathematics equation (didn't those assholes know that it was hard enough when it was just numbers?), trying to fit in, struggling to be popular, hoping to be cool, college, studying for exams that you already knew you were going to fail, GPA, life on the whole. And of course, you can't forget the opposite sex. When you're a teenage boy, the hormones were always raging; there was a constant struggle to get in some girl's pants.

* * *

He was brought out of his internal musings when his phone beeped. When he took the thing from his pocket, he saw that it was a message from his mother. It was always the same thing. Do your homework, clean yourself up, do your chores or his personal favorite, there's dinner in the microwave, help yourself. He shoved the phone back in his pocket without even looking at it. It wasn't like he was angry or bitter with his mother, no quite the opposite. He was angry at himself, angry at life for always taking something from their family. He felt something nudge him, and when he glanced at the side, he was met with the sight of bright red converse shoes. It was Sasuke.

"You didn't even change" he said in his usual blandness. The black haired teen wore black chinos, white t-shirt, sneakers and an oversized red, hooded sweat shirt with their school logo brightly stitched at the front. "Did you even go inside?" he asked, looking down on him.

"If you know the answer already, why even ask?" Naruto asked as he left the cigarette to hang from his parted lips. Sasuke just scoffed and sat down beside him. The boy smelt of some fruity shampoo and that fresh, clean cut scent of pine. "You drove" Naruto said, and sure enough, his black Jeep was parked in his driveway. Ah, the perks of being rich.

"Of course I did, dumbass. My house is miles away" Sasuke said, as he took the carton of cigarettes from his pocket without asking. Naruto didn't reply because he instead continued to bask in the workings happening around them. "Lighter" he murmured and Naruto took out a silver lighter with an intricate design of a fox engraved at the side. He placed it in Sasuke's hand, before turning back to gaze at the empty road in front of them.

"Let me guess, Itachi's home" Naruto said, watching but not really seeing the cars that passed them.

"Hn" Sasuke said, as he gave him back the lighter. Years of being one of the bastard's best friends enabled him to translate that as yes. If Naruto dug deeper, he would smell that tell tale metallic scent that he knew was there. But instead, the blonde allowed the nicotine to drown out all reality. "Wanted to know if I could crash at yours" he said and ran a hand through his hair.

"Thought you and Suigetsu were heading out tonight" Naruto said though his focus had immediately diverted to the car that had pulled up in his neighbor's driveway. His eyes slightly lit up as the very single, very gorgeous woman who lived opposite from his house, got out her car. Long, lean legs were the first to grace the world, followed by large breasts that jiggled as she pushed herself out. Naruto didn't even know when he started to smile but he did know that it started to spread across his face, as the woman in her short skirt bent to take out her purse. He took the cigarette between his bony fingers and when she turned to them, he could see the mischievous spark in her eyes. She waved with a sly grin on her face and with her things, she walked into her house. As any hormonal teenager, more specifically any boy his age, he ogled the woman and Sasuke chuckled.

"Wipe the drool from your face, dumbass" Sasuke said, leaning back while he kicked out his feet off the pavement. One point for Gryffindor! Here, ladies and gentlemen, we have a rebel among rebels... "And we decided to skip it" he added as he took a long drag from his cigarette. Naruto nodded and flicked some ash onto the ground. The sunlight had all but disappeared, only to be replaced with a somber darkness. The streetlights flickered to life, and he watched as some moths were already enticed to those yellowish bulbs.

"The house is always welcomed to you and Sakura" Naruto said, as a car zoomed past them. "Maybe, we should call her, make it a party" he added with a chuckle to himself.

"Nah, she's got some test tomorrow. Most likely, she's holed up in the library with her nose in a book" Sasuke said as the wind blew between them.

"Got to hand it to her, she's determined to get into that Ivy League college" Naruto said, watching as his cigarette was reduced to a stub.

"And yet, here we are, smoking our lives away" Sasuke said with a snort. Naruto smiled and threw the stub to the ground.

"Here's to us. Future leaders of tomorrow" Naruto said and Sasuke just chuckled. "You ready to head inside?" he asked and Sasuke shook his head.

"I need a minute" Sasuke said, and he knew to read between the lines of that four word sentence. They sat in a comforting silence, both lost, equally as depressed, hiding behind facades that society had forced them to erect so that they could cope with the pressures that came with being a teenager. However, in their presence, only then they could be honest. They could be themselves, without any pretenses. They were free, free from parents, expectations, disappointments and everything else that weighed down on them. That was why they were best friends. Convenience over complication, kindred souls, each struggling to find their place in the hectic mêlée strategically called high school. No matter that they ran in different circles, or had friends separate from each other, because no matter what, they always found a way to each other. Naruto watched as Sasuke got up and with a flick of his wrist, the cigarette crashed to the cemented floor. Without hesitation, the pale boy stomped on it and dusted his pants.

"Good?" Naruto asked as he sluggishly stood up as well. Sasuke dug his hands in his pockets and nodded. "Good, because I'm fucking starving" he said and took up his messenger bag.

"Who told you to sit outside here for so long?" Sasuke bit out without any malice. Naruto just slapped his hands on his ass.

"Sasuke" Naruto seriously said and Sasuke looked up to his friend, who was grudgingly two inches taller than he was. "Go fuck yourself" he said, and Sasuke snorted as he watched as the blonde trotted to his house.

"Whatever, dumbass" Sasuke replied before following after him. And that was usually how their Monday's ended.

* * *

S.S.D.D (Same Shit, Different Day)

-Stephen King, The Dream catcher.

* * *

Author's notes: I know I haven't updated my other story as yet but I promise I will within this week. The reason I haven't finished it is because my mind was like: "You know what; I know you're really stressed out with a shit load of things but...I kinda have an idea for another story...so um...I'm going to bother you until you get this down or else I'll fuck you up...Sorry". Even my brain is a douche. Anyway, let me just give you a run down on this story. It's a Romance/Angst/Mystery/Bullshit. ~.~ another twist? It's a mother flobbing Yaoi. You know what that means. Oh and there's one more thing I wanted to add...I'm not going to reveal what the pairing is...yet. That doesn't mean you all can't suggest or anything...I'm open to considerations.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter one – Tuesday

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

" _Do you have the time_

 _To listen to me whine_

 _About nothing and everything_

 _All at once_

 _I am one of those_

 _Melodramatic fools_

 _Neurotic to the bone_

 _No doubt about it"_

 **Basket Case** by Green Day

* * *

Standing in front of his locker, Naruto allowed himself to get lost in his anonymity that he often purposefully cloaked himself as the sea of students crowded the hallway. With his headphones firmly over his ears, he allowed the loud, almost angry sounds of the guitar to announce the mood he was currently slumped in. With a sigh, he opened the door of his locker. Wasting no time, Naruto threw some books inside his cluttered locker and sifted through the pile of mess for the book he needed. He pulled the English text and when he slammed his locker close, he smiled. "I was beginning to think that you weren't going to notice me here" Sakura said with her head leaning against the other locker. He chuckled and she smiled as he took off the headphones before allowing them to hang around his neck.

"And what are you doing here? Don't you have some kind of cheerleading shit to get to?" Naruto asked and Sakura pouted.

"I always make time for you, Naru" she said, flicking his nose. He laughed and she smiled as they walked down the hall. Immediately, all eyes turned on her. Even the other girls stopped to admire or openly gawk at the girl who made their uniform look like something straight out of a catwalk. She had long pink hair, something she dyed in protest of the students who dared to call her a prig, which swayed against her ass. She wore the blue plaited skirt, the white shirt folded to her elbows and the blazer was tied around her tiny waist. "I heard that you had a really good game last week" she said, glancing at him.

"It was alright" Naruto said with a one shoulder shrug. Sakura shook her head and placed her hands behind her back. "How was your test?" he asked, tying his hair in a low ponytail. After his father died, he refused to cut his blonde hair shorter than the base of his ears, sort of in memory for the man, kind of thing.

"I think it was really good!" she chirped and he chuckled. When they were kids, Naruto was usually the overly zealous one, but it seemed that once puberty kicked in, Sakura had taken over that role from him. "What do you have now?" she asked.

"English with the ole' pervert" Naruto said with a horrible attempt at a British accent which made her smile. "Where's Sasuke?" he asked and her eyes fell to the floor. It was no secret that she had hidden feelings towards the boy, but they all knew that it would go unrequited, though they kept up the charade that they were dating.

"He's having lunch with Juugo and Suigetsu in the cafeteria" she said, and blew out a frustrated sigh.

"Let me guess, life in Wonderland, ain't as cracked up as it's supposed to be" Naruto said and Sakura shot him a glare, before frowning.

"He's been more moody lately" she confessed and smiled to some girls that called to her. "Do you know what happened?" she asked, turning to him.

"He's Sasuke. He's always moody" he said, loosing the tie around his neck. Fucking piece of shit...he thought.

"I know, but he's been more moody, even in Sasuke terms" Sakura said, and he glanced at her.

"Have you tried talking to him? Usually that helps" He said and she playfully slapped him on the arm.

"I did, but he doesn't like talking to me, not anymore" she said and he arched an eyebrow.

"Well, he didn't tell me anything if that's what you're asking" Naruto said and tucked the book under his arm. "When he's ready, he'll spill whatever is bugging him" he added.

"Naruto" she said and he stopped in front of his classroom. "Do you think he's...?" she asked and Naruto frowned.

"I don't know" he said and her lips quivered. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him. "I'm sure he's fine, so don't worry about him" he added, and she smiled. She nodded and with a pat to her head, they parted ways.

* * *

Naruto sat down and looked around the classroom. He only had two friends going this snooty prep school and that was Sasuke as well as Sakura. The rest of his friends were back in the public high school that his mother had forced him out of, some years ago. He slumped down in his seat, and shrugged off the jacket. He hated everything to do with the school of pompous pricks that went out of their way to show him that he didn't belong in their world of glitter and gold. "Well hello my kiddies" Jiraiya said as he walked in, with his briefcase in hand. The girls groaned and the boys smirked. It was a wonder that Jiraiya managed to retain his job after all the remarks that he made about the female anatomy. He winked at Naruto who rolled his eyes at the man. Did he forget to mention? The man was his godfather, unfortunately that is. "Alright, children, take out your texts and let us resume the study of Romeo and Juliet!" he said and that earned groans all around.

* * *

At lunch, Naruto sat under one of the many trees, as he stared at the sky. "Dumbass" someone said and he saw Sasuke approaching with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Shouldn't you be in class right now?" Naruto asked as he bit into his bland sandwich. Sasuke grunted and sat down beside him. He chewed slowly, watching the clouds that he knew Shikamaru would have loved. Is he staring at them right now? He thought as he swallowed. Sasuke broke piece of Naruto's sandwich and shoved it in his own mouth. "Sakura came to see me today" he said, and Sasuke just leaned on the bark of the tree. He took another piece of Naruto's sandwich and smirked at Naruto who glared at him.

"And what did she say?" he asked as Naruto sipped on his water. "I know she said something" he added, as Naruto placed the sandwich in his hands. He grunted out thanks and ate.

"She said that you're moody, even for you" Naruto said and Sasuke snorted. He leaned against the bark, their shoulders brushing in contact. Sasuke didn't say anything as he opted to finish the half eaten sandwich.

"I've got stuff going on" Sasuke said and Naruto closed his eyes. "What did you tell her?" he asked as he swiped the water from Naruto's hand.

"I said that you would talk when you're ready" Naruto said and Sasuke turned his head away, as a smile crept on his face. Sasuke gulped down some water and Naruto cracked an eye open. "Didn't you already eat?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I'm still hungry" Sasuke said and Naruto rolled his eyes before stretching. "Do you want to know?" he asked, as he placed the bottle on the grass.

"Do you want to tell me?" Naruto asked and Sasuke chuckled. "There you go then" he added and closed his eyes again.

"You're weird, you know that?" Sasuke found himself asking. Naruto just shrugged and Sasuke smirked.

"You should be the one to fucking talk" Naruto said and Sasuke looked at the sky. "How are things with you and Sui?" he asked.

"Fine" Sasuke said and ran a hand through his hair. "And you shouldn't worry about me. You're the one who hasn't gotten laid in some time" he added.

"Unlike you, I don't have a herd of people throwing themselves on me, do I?" Naruto asked and Sasuke leaned on him. "Some of us weren't born with the Uchiha genes" he added and Sasuke chuckled.

"It's not my fault you have the face of a donkey's ass" Sasuke said and Naruto gave him a harsh push. Sasuke laughed and Naruto showed him the middle finger.

"You're lucky you're my best friend, Sasuke" Naruto said and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Shut up and just watch the fucking clouds" Sasuke said and Naruto smirked.

* * *

Author's notes: So here's chapter one...I don't really have anything to say so I'm just going to thank the person who left a review for this story.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter two – Wednesday

Disclaimer: I own not Naruto

* * *

" _Nothingness lies coiled in the heart of being - like a worm."_ _  
_ _―_ _Jean-Paul Sartre_ _,_ _Being and Nothingness_ _._

That morning, Naruto had not awoken by the sounds of his alarm clock but rather the delicious smell of bacon. Almost like a jerk reaction, his body jolted when the smell had wormed its way into his bedroom. Without thinking, he got off his bed. He rubbed at his tired eyes, trying to at least get the sleep out of them but to no avail. His eye lids felt like they were made of lead and no matter what he tried, they still kept shutting on their own. He continued to the kitchen in his grog filled daze but came to a sudden halt when he heard the light sounds of Sinatra humming in the background. His body snapped awake and as his sight adjusted, he made out the blurry form of his mother standing in front of him. She wore a short sleeved blue dress that stopped at her calves with a yellow apron neatly tied around her waist. Her crimson locks were pulled in a messy bun, though there were a few bangs spilling on her forehead. "Good morning sleepy head" she greeted him with a broad grin on her face and her hands on her hips. He had to blink twice just to make sure it was not a hallucination.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" he managed to ask before she ushered him to sit one of the stools that were near the island of the kitchen.

"The last time I checked, this is MY house" she cheekily replied as she poured a glass of orange juice for him.

"You know what I mean, Mom" he said, taking the offered glass from her hands. She arched an eyebrow teasingly before placing a stack of pancakes in front of him like an offering. He could already feel the saliva pooling in his mouth but he had to remain focused. "Don't you have work today?" he asked, glancing at the clock hanging from the wall.

"Today is the sixteenth, my dear" she said, and his body tensed as soon as the words came out of her mouth. He was grateful that she had chosen that time to turn around. "Your grandparents are coming this evening. I thought I should remind you" she added. His mouth opened to give her a reply but the gravel like feeling which lodged itself into his throat, prevented him from doing such a thing. He shakily brought the glass to his lips and greedily gulped down the cool contents of his glass. "They'll arrive by mid day" she spoke again.

"Oh" he said, shifting on his stool a little. He poured some syrup on his pancakes, though he knew his appetite had already been decimated to near nothing by her previous words.

"How is school?" she asked, as she turned around so she could set the bacon near his other plated food. He raised his pancakes that were impaled on his fork to his mouth before pausing to answer her.

"School is school" he shrugged before shoving both pancake and fork into his mouth. Her eyes narrowed at his reply but all he could focus on was how the food had started to taste like saw dust in his mouth.

"How original" she said as she wiped her hands on a paper towel before she poured a glass of orange juice for herself. "And is Jiraiya-san behaving himself?" she asked and the suffix she added to the man's name did not go well with the English language.

"I don't think he will ever behave himself" Naruto said as he swallowed. She chuckled at the statement while silently agreeing with him.

"What about little Sasu-chan and Saku-chan? How are they?" she asked as she leaned against the island so she could survey him better.

"They're fine" he said with a non committed tone while trying to regain the flavor of the food that he had lost some moments ago.

"Ne, Naru-chan why are you behaving so mean to Mama?" she pouted in her native language. He looked up and saw that she had slapped a goofy look on her face (one of the ways she knew that she would make him laugh).

"How am I mean?" he asked as she leaned over to run her hand through his very messy hair.

"Well, for one, I'm trying to have a conversation with you but you're acting like a teenager" she said and that time he did laugh.

"I am a teenager, Mom" he said and she gently ruffled his hair before pulling away from him.

"I realized with that little stubble you have going on there" she said and she almost smirked at the way his chest puffed out in what she assumed was pride.

"So you noticed" he said, rubbing his chin. "It's practically like what's his face...Jack Black!" he announced and she snorted at him as she sipped her juice.

"Eat your breakfast, Mr. Jack Black or else you're going to be late" she said with a shake of her head, though she was just happy as any mother could be. However while she was trapped within her own contentment, Naruto tried not to let the acrid taste on his tongue swallow him alive.

* * *

With his hands stretched out at his sides, he walked along the edges of the roof. In his mind he was one of those performers at the circus that his father always used to carry him when he was younger. He knew if he closed his eyes he could see the bright lights, the loud shouts of his name, the smell of popcorn, sweat and an odd assortment of smells that the circus always seemed to have. He could almost see the large crowd of people staring at him in awe as he started to hum. "Dumbass, what are you doing?" someone he knew was Sasuke asked, shattering the illusion that he had weaved for himself. He allowed the breeze to lightly tread its brisk fingers through his hair that had gotten loose from its tie before turning to see the boy staring at him with bored amusement.

"What does it look like?" Naruto asked, as he took the cigarette from his lips while balancing on the edge. Though other people would be perturbed with his current situation, Sasuke was not. In fact he seemed thrilled about it.

"It looks like a dumbass trying to push his luck" Sasuke said with that Uchiha tone of his that he had gotten down to a pat. Naruto just arched one of his eyebrows while staring at his friend. Years ago if someone had told him that he would become friends with the Uchiha, he would have punched them in the face for suggesting such a thing. It was no secret that the moment they met, that they hated each other. Yet now, the stoic male was one of the few people that Naruto could trust his life to. That was real friendship there, he thought to himself. Sasuke, who had sensed that he had slipped away from their conversation once more, shoved his hands in his pockets. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, a gentle tone traveling in his voice. In those rare moments, Sasuke had stopped pretending to be a prick to actually show his concern and Naruto wasn't so much as an ass to not accept it.

"Nothing...everything" Naruto said, while sitting down on the edge on which he was just standing on and he knew that the pale teen would join him. He allowed the cancerous cloud of air to snap his thoughts into miniscule pieces and found the relief he was craving for. It was the only way he could drown out the noise in his head.

"That's a lot" Sasuke said, swaying his feet over the edge a little while his eyes travelled to the students who were chatting beneath them in ignorant bliss. "Today is the sixteenth" he added, making sure that his eyes were not on his friend who had poised his head to the clear blue sky. He nodded while the wind blew his red tinted blonde hair over his eyes.

"It is" he said raising his bony fingers to form a camera that he used to snap imaginary pictures of the soccer team practicing in one of the fields beneath them. Sasuke's attention drew to one of the players, the one with bluish almost whitish hair and Naruto chuckled. "What is it like, Sasuke?" he asked and if the other boy didn't have inane hearing ability he would have missed the soft timbre of the boy's voice. It was one of the few moments that Naruto actually used his first name. It was in those moments that he could peer through the tiny cracks of the one person who no one but Sasuke knew held so much complexity that often baffled him. Not even Sasuke created so many layers to hide behind. Sasuke gripped onto the cold slab of the wall they were sitting on, watching as his knuckles turned white from such pressure. He didn't answer in fear he would disturb the silence that descended on them. "To pretend everyday" he added while taking the cigarette from his mouth.

"You tell me" Sasuke said and Naruto craned his head towards him. Though Sasuke didn't turn, he would feel those blue orbs intensely glued onto him. A dry chuckle caused him to glance his way and he had caught a glimpse of a rather cruel smirk fading off the blonde's face. Shivers ran down his spine and he forced himself not to shake. Only one other person made him feel that way and he refused to be cowered. Naruto took off one of the hair ties that were on his right hand and pulled his hair into a sloppy one. His every day look of quiet appraisal had flitted over his face once more. Once they had receded into their usual show of normality, the two made sure to ignore the line that had almost been breeched.

"You're one brutal mother f**ker" Naruto said though mirth bounced off his pupils like the rays of light above them. He took another drag of his cigarette while Sasuke placed his weight on his hands so he was leaning backwards a little.

"So are you but that's why we're friends" Sasuke said and Naruto didn't make a move to rebut his claim. They were the only ones who knew about the darkness that had been hidden within golden and pale skin. Yet the sad truth was, even then they didn't know the full extent of how deep those shadows ran.

"Look at that, what's-his-name scored" Naruto mumbled and when Sasuke looked out at the field the players were already celebrating their victory. With the cigarette hanging from his slightly cracked lips he propped his chin on one of his open palms while titling his head towards Sasuke. "Good luck" he said and when Sasuke looked at him, Naruto was already looking at the field again. He could hear the confusion in the 'Hn' the Uchiha directed his way. It was weird how they could understand each other without really trying. "I won't be there for your basketball game so I'm wishing you good luck in advance" he added and Sasuke's delicate alabaster eyebrows shot upward in an almost mocking way.

"Is that so" the raven lazily said, as his eyes tracked every movement of number 23. "Thanks but I don't need it" he said, and decided to add "Dumbass". Naruto rolled his eyes, hardly affronted by his insult.

"Dick" Naruto said and Sasuke just nudged him on the shoulder. Everything was just as they were, just as they always were on a boring Wednesday.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter three – Thursday

Disclaimer : Yeah, I know.

" _And that is how changes happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time"_

 _Libba Bray_

* * *

By the time Thursday had rolled around, Naruto felt lethargic. With his back pack slung on his shoulder in that trademark haphazard way of his, he stood on the train platform blankly staring at the tracks. People came and went, each too busy to pay attention to the uniformed blonde kid whose music was so loud that even the man standing two steps away could hear the song he was listening to from his headphones. "System of a Down" a deep, guttural voice spoke up and though he shouldn't have been able to hear through his personal veiled haziness, his glacial eyes flickered to the side. Red was the first thing he noticed. When his eyes trailed downwards, they landed on the tattooed Kanji for love on pale, almost translucent skin. Green eyes glimmered up to meet his own. The boy who was only some inches shorter than he was, matched the emptiness that Naruto offered him. The boy didn't look like the sort of person who would strike up a conversation with a stranger; he thought to himself but remained silent. Naruto slid his headphones from his ears to his neck and for the first time noticed that the boy had no eyebrows though there were insane black rings around his eyes.

"Yeah" he replied because what else could he say in that situation. The boy seemed satisfied with his answer though and nodded. Naruto took notice of the logo on the boy's bag. Huh, so the boy attended his old school. As though he read Naruto's mind, the red head smirked.

"I transferred there two months" the boy said and Naruto hummed a little. He didn't understand why the fuck the red head felt so obliged to give him so much information when he didn't ask for it. Naruto nodded though, despite his thoughts. He could see a hint of black on the kid's right ear which told him that it was most likely a stud. "The name's Gaara" the boy added with his hands crossed against his chest like he was going to war.

"No last name huh" Naruto said, and the boy just chuckled. "Naruto" he greeted out, purposely leaving out his own last name.

"I should say the same about you" Gaara said, watching as the train stopped in front of them. "See ya around, Naruto" the boy added and Naruto watched as the boy boarded the train without even looking back. When the doors closed after people had flocked inside as well, the red head finally gazed at him. A ghost of a smirk spread on the red head's lips and before Naruto could decipher the reason behind such a gesture, the train left. It would be almost two minutes before the gears in Naruto's mind started to turn again.

"Plot twist: he's my long lost brother" Naruto said to himself with dry chuckle. "Yeah right, my life is not some low budget soap opera" he added as he replaced his headphones were they were meant to originally be.

* * *

"I heard there is a new teacher transferring to our school today" was the first thing Sakura told him as soon as he walked through those polished gates.

"Good morning to you too" Naruto said, taking off his headphones and she pouted her glossed up lips. He swore he saw some of her fan boys flop to the ground at such a sight. She lightly punched him on the arm as they walked to the main building of their school. Though he enjoyed her company, he always knew that with Sakura, there was always a catch involved; a reason for all her surprise visits.

"Aren't you curious?" she asked, while placing her hands behind her back. He could see how the others students got caught in her web as all eyes turned to gaze at her.

"Not really" he said, scratching his cheek. "I don't give a shit" he added and he could see how she tried not to laugh at his words. Oh, but how he knew how much she wanted to. After all, she was rather vulgar herself when she wanted to be.

"Naughty, naughty" she sang while waving her finger in a disapproving manner. "Anyway, from what I've heard he's quite credited" she said while pressing her hands down her skirt.

"Sakura, love" he said, placing his hand on her head which she slapped away. "I will say it again just so I'm clear. I do not give a shit" he added and he could see the humor dancing in her eyes.

"So..." she said when they made it to his locker. "I heard Sasuke stayed over at your house" she twirled some strands of her hair.

"Itachi was home" he told her because he knew why she had brought up such an issue. He could practically taste the jealousy as it soaked into her pores. Even though they were all friends, Sakura had a certain possessiveness over Sasuke that it often raised some questions in Naruto's mind. However just like they turned a blind eye to some of what he did, he always paid them the favor. Call it what you want but true friendship was accepting without judgment the Hyde that your friends often harbored. Or that was what Naruto thought to himself.

"He was home?" she asked, and he could see the way her nails dug into the hem of her shirt.

"Apparently" he said, while shoving some of his books into the already jam packed locker. "So he crashed at my place. We were going to call you but you were studying for that exam of yours" he added while discreetly taking out the cigarettes hidden in his books. Not even that principal with a stick up his ass could prevent Naruto from getting what he wanted.

"Right" she said, and he ran his fingers through those pink strands of hair that she had dyed just so she could impress the boy of her dreams. Unfortunately for her, that boy was Sasuke. Once, when he was younger he had held onto that same naivety that Sakura had decided to cloak herself with. During that time, he honestly thought he had loved the rosette but now he understood why such a thing would never come to pass. She had fallen for Uchiha Sasuke. As he looked at her expectant eyes, he knew what she wanted from him, just like the other times. She needed someone, anyone to keep her motivated in that dead attachment she had stitched between herself and Sasuke. She needed the lie as much as she needed to deceive others.

"He'll come around" the words flowed out of his mouth without much thought. Like a puppy receiving a treat, she perked up.

"Yeah, you're right" she replied but Naruto knew what her inner conscious was aware of. "Thanks, Naru" she hugged him and he nodded.

"I've got to go to home room, see ya later" he said and ran his hand through her hair once more. "Good luck" he wished her and with that, they parted ways.

* * *

"Class, I want to introduce you to someone" their home room teacher announced in that nasal voice of his. Some of the other students straightened their backs while Naruto opted to remain impassive as ever. "As you all know, Mrs. Saturobi has gone off on maternity leave and as such her position as Art teacher needed to be filled" the pudgy man annotated with his very sloth like face. How did he even get himself dressed in the morning, Naruto often thought to himself. His eyebrows knitted together not because he was interested in what the man had to say but because another thought had entered his head. Was the man that boring even when he was banging his wife?

"That is where Mr. Hatake comes in. Students, I would like to introduce you all to your new Art Teacher" the man spoke up and on cue, the door opened. The other students gawked at the silver haired man as he calmly walked into the class while Naruto chose to observe. For instance, the man pretended to wrap himself in a non-threatening manner when he could feel the strength radiating from the slightly hunched form of the masked man as he crossed the floor. He wore some sort of white coat like the ones physicians often wore and a mask as though he had the cold.

"The guy looks like Mad Father but with white hair" a thought popped into his head which caused him to snort while others were in awe of his supposed handsomeness. However unlike what Naruto thought, that little sound did not go unnoticed. The man's sharp onyx eyes flashed in his direction but Naruto did not react to his gaze. They stared at each other for five seconds, wills clashing against each other before the man's eyes turned upwards in what the assumed was a smile.

"Yo, what's up? My name is Kakashi Hatake and I'm your new Art Teacher" he said with a friendly voice but as Naruto raised his head he could feel something lurking behind the man's dull eyes. "I hope we have _great_ time with each other during my time here" he added and Naruto swore that the hairs on his hands had stood up with such a declaration.

* * *

Here's chapter three, people. I'm sorry it was so late, but you know how shitty life can be sometimes.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter four – Friday

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

Now that his after school practice was over, instead of heading straight home, Naruto found himself in an unfortunate situation. It was raining and he hadn't thought of carrying an umbrella. So standing in front of the entrance, the blonde stood with his headphones stuck in his ears. With blank blue eyes he watched as the other students made a show of hopping into their expensive cars that were already waiting for them. In fact, their chauffeurs got out with large black umbrellas, just to shelter their charges from the rain.

He shrugged his bag on his shoulder and dug his hands deeper into his pockets as more students left. He drowned out all the thoughts that kept threatening to resurface and focused on the thick, blobs of rain drops that fell. When he was kid, he didn't particularly like the rain, but having spent those water logged days inside with his father made him come to love it. Whenever the rain fell, he could remember sitting between his father's legs, watching the man as he read from one of his favorite books. If there was one thing, his father was one of the best story tellers he knew. Whenever he spoke, it felt like the man could bring those words to life, like Naruto could actually fall into one of those tales that he often wove for him. On those days, especially that Friday, he could distinctly remember the smell of hot chocolate accompanied by childish giggles. "Quite the rain we have here" someone said and Naruto watched the new teacher unabashedly staring at him. Naruto replied with a non committed nod before turning to watch the puddles that started to form in the courtyard. "You're in the C class right?" he asked, turning his entire body to face the blonde.

"Yeah" Naruto said though he had yet to take out his headphones. He wanted to see what the new teacher would do. A test if you will, to determine if the man like most of the teachers Naruto knew, would command that he remove them. However, if anything, the man didn't seem perturbed in the least by the loud sounds of drums and guitar music.

"Let me guess, Mr. Jacob's class?" he asked and Naruto could see an orange book poking out from one of the man's coat pocket. Naruto nodded whilst leaning his head against one of the columns. "Is your driver late?" the man added as the rain started to fill the silence. Naruto couldn't help it, he laughed.

"I don't have a driver" Naruto said, standing up straighter that time. "Unlike the rich kids that go here, I'm poor" he added but unlike what Naruto thought, the man wasn't put off by the statement like most were. "I'm here on scholarship" he managed to include since the man seemed to pass whatever test the blonde had wordlessly administered to him.

"Ah, you so must be Namikaze Naruto" The new teacher said, while crossing his arms together.

"So you've heard about me" Naruto said, a little smirk on his face. "All good things I hope" he mockingly added with a chuckle.

"If you take sending one of your fellow students to the hospital with your bare fists, good then by all means, from what I've heard, you're great" the newly transferred Hatake Kakashi said. Naruto didn't respond. "Your last name, is it Japanese?" he asked. Naruto who was a little confused turned to the man.

"Yeah, my parents are Japanese" the blonde said with a shrug. Though he could fluently speak the language, was raised in the culture and were integrated into its traditions, he was not Japanese like his parents were.

"Oh but you're not" the older man observed. Naruto nodded and once he noticed the rain had finally stopped, he pulled the hood from his hoodie up.

"I've got to go" Naruto said, and the masked man nodded. Unlike most teachers, the man wasn't a complete asshole. In fact, he found their conversation tolerable. "See ya later, sir" he added and without waiting for a reply, left.

* * *

Getting off the train, Naruto sighed. Somehow, he still managed to get soaked by the rain. Running his hand through his now loose hair, he walked through the nearly empty platform. Because he chose to stay back for practice, he was going to arrive home late. He took out the half eaten granola bar from his front pocket and bit into it. He was not only tired, but he was fucking starving. As he was lazily chewing, a tuft of black hair caught his eye. Immediately, his palms started to sweat and he was forced to swallow. "Fuck" he hissed as his suspicions were confirmed. Standing some feet away from him, was his ex-best friend from his old school, Nara Shikamaru. And he was standing alone; chewing what Naruto knew was a piece of gum.

It wasn't like he wasn't happy to see Shikamaru; it was just that...he wasn't ready to meet up with him yet. It had been what? Naruto didn't even want to count the years since they lost contact. Their friendship had been destroyed when the blonde moved and got transferred to another school which was what made Naruto feel guilty every time he thought about it. Though they promised to stay in contact with each other, as time passed, it proved to be an impossible task. Shikamaru had started to grow in popularity back in their school whilst Naruto was still in that nameless, loser stage. Shikamaru had also started to get closer to his childhood friends, Chouji and Ino, whilst at that time; Naruto was friendless in his new school. Soon enough, they grew apart and from then on, neither had the guts to call the other up. In fact, it seemed like they just forgot about each other. After all, that was safest and easiest thing to do.

Naruto was going to turn around, pretend like he didn't see the boy, when Shikamaru chose that time to turn. They stared at each other, drinking in all the differences that occurred during their absence. Like how Shikamaru had pierced his ears and now wore two black studs in his ears. Or like how Naruto had not only grown in height but also how he had grown out his hair. "Fuck it" Naruto muttered and walked over to the boy who wore his black hair in a high ponytail. "Shika" he greeted the other boy who had yet to blink. Snapping out of his stupor, Shikamaru snorted at him.

"Naruto" Shikamaru said though he wanted to say more but they were guys. And guys didn't waste their time with things like feelings and shit (something he had remembered Naruto say to him) so he avoided all the emotions that bubbled in his chest. He studied the blonde, memorizing every little detail of the almost foreign Naruto in front of him. The Naruto he knew was never so tall, so lean. He certainly didn't have that long, roguish hair that Shikamaru couldn't help but think went well with his no longer round face. Shikamaru's hand tightened on the strap of his backpack and forced a smile. "It's been some time, huh?" he asked with his usual lazy air of nonchalance. Naruto smirked and nodded.

"Some things change and others remain the same" Naruto said and Shikamaru couldn't help the smile on his face. "Like that hairstyle of yours" the blonde added, reaching out the tug at the ponytail a little.

"If it isn't broke, why fix it?" Shikamaru asked and the blonde laughed. "Nice uniform by the way" he added and the blonde scoffed. Shikamaru on the other hand, wore a pair of slightly loose denim jeans, a red t-shirt with a black hoodie that went well for the lazy boy.

"Shut up" Naruto muttered and Shikamaru let out what the blonde knew was a laugh. "So what brings you here?" he asked and he could see how the other boy seemed to clam up from the question.

"To meet me" someone said and that was when the red head named Gaara approached them. Naruto watched the way Gaara greeted Shikamaru, watching the way how that pale hand rested itself on the boy's hip like it wasn't a big deal. When he looked at Shikamaru, the boy glanced away while Gaara smirked at him. Oh. **Oooooh.**

"I see" Naruto said and that time, Shikamaru did look at him. "Good for you, Shika" he added and he could see something shining in those orbs that were focused on him. Finding the bitter taste in his mouth annoying, Naruto decided that it was time he left. "It was good seeing you again, man" he announced and with a smile at Shikamaru, he did leave.

* * *

Author's notes: The relationship between Shikamaru and Naruto is complicated, the question though is: How complicated?


End file.
